Prime Minister: “Hunting repeal will cost Cameron election”

At Prime Minister’s Questions this lunchtime, Gordon Brown issued a stark warning to David Cameron that pursuing a repeal of the Hunting Act could cost him the election.

Labour backbencher Emily Thornberry MP asked Gordon Brown to guarantee that the ban on hunting with dogs would not be repealed by his government. Mr Brown assured the house he fully supports the ban on hunting and warned the Tory leader that in pledging to repeal the legislation:

“They [Conservatives] are making a terrible mistake and they will pay for it at the election”.

Mr Brown also ridiculed the proposal for a new quango to regulate fox hunting.

The Hunting Act has overwhelming support from the public with a recent Ipsos-MORI poll showing 75 per cent of people support the ban on fox hunting and do not want to return to the cruelty of hunting with dogs. We have launched a ‘Keep Cruelty History’ campaign to protect the Hunting Act.

League Chief Executive Douglas Batchelor said: “The Prime Minister has simply voiced the thoughts of the overwhelming majority of the public who are disgusted at the thought of repealing an Act which would allow the cruelty and barbarism of hunting back into our countryside.”